Many of the older irrigation canals are forced with a compacted silt bottom and sloped sides and are prone to leakage. In some locations, a canal may run through extreme porous material, where serious leakage is of yet greater concern.
One method for repairing such leaking canals is to install an impermeable lining in the canal. However, heretofore this was not possible while water continued to flow in the canal. Thus the water would have to be diverted or retained while the lining was installed which means that some areas will be without water during the lining process.
The other known method for correcting the problem was to construct a new lined canal to replace the old leaking canal. Clearly, this alternative is expensive and impractical since right-of-way land may not be available to build a new canal.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for lining a canal with an impermeable material, while water flows within the canal.
Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for lining a canal which will not significantly block the flow of water in the canal.
A further object is to provide a method of lining a canal with PVC or other impervious membrane material with the material being positioned in a non-stressed condition on the bottom and sloping sides of the canal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for laying PVC or the like in a canal which will lay the PVC or the like in a substantially wrinkle-free state.
Still a further object is to provide a method and apparatus for laying a layer of concrete on a PVC layer or the like in the bottom of a canal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for lining a canal which may be continuously operated while the canal is flowing.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.